1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for processing information, in which display content containing characters is processed, and to a program for making a computer execute the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, apparatuses have been increasingly equipped with displays. Such displays vary in size, from a size of a display for a small device to a size of a large screen. These displays display various pieces of information such as operator guidance, menus, and documents to provide the users with information.
A user sometimes changes the size of a display area to display a plurality of pieces of information. To view display content that has become larger than the display area as a result of a reduction in size of the display area, the user moves the display content using a scroll bar or the like. When display content contains characters, the user can output the display content by scrolling the characters in a display area. Further, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 10-083271 and 4-278992 disclose methods in which the size of display content is changed in proportion to a change in size of a display area so that the display content is made to fit into the display area.
However, when information is to be displayed in a small display area, characters and images become small and the entirety of the information cannot be viewed. This has lead to poor legibility. For example, in the case where the size of display content that originally contains small characters is changed in proportion to a reduction in size of the display area, the characters become extremely small. Further, characters that cannot be displayed in a display area as a result of a reduction in size of a display area need to be scrolled. This has lead to a problem that it is difficult to grasp the entirety of the display content.